Packaged semiconductor devices, such as memory chips and microprocessor chips, typically include a semiconductor device mounted to a substrate and encased in a protective covering. The device includes functional features, such a memory cells, processor circuits, and interconnecting circuitry. The protective covering conventionally includes a mold compound that is deposited over the semiconductor device packages and encapsulated in a compression molding machine. As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional mold transfer system 10 includes a granular mold compound 12 deposited onto a release film 14 and stacked within a containment area of a tray cover 16. The stacked granular mold compound 12 includes entrapped air 18 in interstitial spaces between individual grains of the granular mold compound 12. The deposited granular mold compound 12 extends above the release film 14 by a thickness (T). The conventional mold transfer system 10, including the release film 14, tray cover 16 and granular mold material 12, is transferred to a molding machine and placed over a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of semiconductor device packages. The tray cover 16 is then removed from the molding machine, and the release film 14 and granular mold material 12 remain to undergo compression molding. The granular mold material 12 is melted via compression molding to form an encapsulant over the semiconductor device packages. After the granular mold material 12 is molded on the semiconductor wafer, the release film 14 is removed.
One drawback with the conventional systems and methods described above is that the entrapped air between individual grains of the stacked granular mold material 12 can lead to voids when the granular mold material 12 is reflowed. As such, there is a general need to decrease the amount of entrapped air within an encapsulant material before being molded. Another drawback the conventional systems and methods is that the release films cannot withstand high elongation for thick semiconductor package molding and thus cannot produce molded thicknesses larger than 1.5 mm. Additionally, global competition continues to force semiconductor manufacturers to decrease costs, improve manufacturing efficiency, and improve the conventional systems and methods described above.